Overview

Click the Watch icon on our Collab pages to be notified of important updates.

Instructions

1. Log in to Collab and click Watch in the upper right-hand corner

   1. If you cannot log in, move to Step 2

2. Members of other UCSD groups can request access to Collab / Confluence by going to the portal and filling out this catalog item: https://support.ucsd.edu/its?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=9af5d148db514450008c9837db96190b

3. Complete the request form

   1. Are you requesting this on behalf of yourself or someone else? Myself

   2. What is the affiliation of the requestor? UCSD

   3. What is the name associated to the Active Directory Account? (your name)

   4. Which services does the requestor need access to? http://collab.ucsd.edu (Confluence)

   5. When should access to these tools expire? choose a date in the distant future

   6. Are thee any other comments you would like to include? add in any other details you think are relevant

Please see Graduate Financial Support Calendar

Question:

What are the funding options for graduate students?

Answer:

Financial Aid

UC San Diego graduate students may apply for need-based aid by completing a Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA). Need-based aid is administered through the Financial Aid Office, not GEPA:

• UC San Diego Financial Aid Office

• Financial Aid Timeline for Graduate/ Professional School Students

• Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements for Graduate Students

Fellowships and Awards

Fellowships are generally merit-based awards that provide a stipend and tuition assistance to graduate students. Additional financial support and eligibility requirements may vary by award.

• Fellowships and Opportunities for Entering Graduate Students

• Fellowships and Traineeships

Academic Employment Opportunities

Financial support may be awarded through academic appointment of assistantships. These awards, generally administered by discipline and department, may grant a stipend and tuition payment for providing assistance in teaching and/or research support.

• Job Opportunities for Graduate Students

• Academic Student Employees

The Graduate Financial Support Unit (FSU) shares spreadsheets and other documents via Google Drive to create a single, centralized version of the file. We do this to avoid version control problems that arise when living documents are sent via attachment. This also streamlines our internal process, ensuring we review the most current information in the single version of that file. Our hope is that it provides visibility and efficiency for you all, as well (especially when there are updates to the data, turnover or reassignment within your unit, coordination between units, etc.).

Many of the documents we share broadly are available to anyone with an @ucsd.edu Google account - if you used another domain to request access (i.e. @gmail.com or @eng.ucsd.edu), please log in via your UCSD AD account and try again. 

Access to some documents we share is more appropriately restricted and managed via Google Groups (also using the @ucsd.edu domain); it may be the case you will need to join a Google Group for access. 

If you have already attempted to access the document using your @ucsd.edu login and cannot, please submit a ticket at https://support.ucsd.edu/its  and include "Attn: Jonathan Wai" in the subject line.

For those in Health Sciences:

In response to requests, we are now enabling Health Sciences users to collaborate using a UC San Diego Health provisioned Google account. It is important to note that if you choose to use Google Drive through UC San Diego Health, you must attest (via DocuSign form) that you will not store or share any ePHI data within this environment. If you would like to have a UC San Diego Health account activated, please contact the UC San Diego Health Service Desk at 3help.ucsd.edu to initiate the process.

For those managing multiple Google logins, you may find Google Chrome Profiles to be a helpful way to quickly access multiple accounts via shortcut without having to log in and out.

Subscribe to a GEPA Financial Support Listserv! Looking to join mailing lists for Graduate Academic Affairs? See: Academic Affairs Listservs 

UC San Diego is now using Google Groups to administer mailing lists. 

• Refer to this Google Groups Help page for detailed instructions to subscribe to these and other UC San Diego mailing lists.

• Emails previously sent from one of these listservs live in the Google Group and serve as an archive for older messages.

Departments may request late fee waivers on behalf of their students; students may not request the waiver themselves.  When submitting a ticket, remember to include student name, PID, term and which late fee waiver is being requested.

• Via the department, students may request a one-time waiver for a waiver of the Late Enrollment Fee and the Late Registration Fee from Academic Affairs

Join us for conversations, quick questions, moral support, and more on Microsoft Teams! Click this link to join the Graduate Student Financial Support Team

Question:

May a part-time graduate student receive financial support?

Answer:

Academic Employment - Graduate students must be registered in a minimum of 12 units of upper-division and graduate-level work each quarter to be employed at greater than 25% time during the academic year.  Students registered in fewer than 12 units are eligible for 25% time appointments upon department approval. 

Fellowships and Traineeships - Awardees must register in a minimum of 12 units of upper-division and graduate-level work each quarter. See: https://ucsd.edu/catalog/front/GradAdmission.html#financial

All graduate students who receive financial support must be in good academic standing as defined under the Standards of Scholarship in the General Catalog. See: https://ucsd.edu/catalog/front/GradAdmission.html#financial

A request to the Dean of GEPA for an exception to policy must be endorsed by the student’s advisor and department/program chair. Any payment that is an exception to policy must be pre-approved.

For questions regarding need-based aid eligibility, please contact Financial Aid: http://students.ucsd.edu/finances/financial-aid/index.html

Visit the Services & Support website: https://support.ucsd.edu/services

If your request is for a particular student/list of students, please include the student's name, PID, and EID (if applicable). Including the PID and/or EID help us to best identify the student's account.  After submitting your ticket to Services & Support, you will received an auto-generated email that confirms it was submitted successfully with the case number. The Financial Support Unit will do their best to respond within 5 business days. During busier periods, it could take longer. 

Please see subpage https://ucsdcollab.atlassian.net/l/cp/6b1D5CDK for a breakdown of different service offerings based upon your question.

Question:

How does a student sign up for direct deposit?

Answer:

There are 3 offices on campus that provide direct deposit for graduate students:

1. Student Business Services (stipend payments)

2. Payroll (ASE and GSR employment checks)

3. Travel and other personal reimbursement

Please ensure that your student has completed the correct direct deposit request in order to expedite the receipt of funds.

Question:

Are there emergency loans available for Graduate Students?

Answer:

Emergency Loans

Limited student Emergency Loan funds are administered by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.  See the FAO website for details. 

Other Emergency Services

The Basic Needs office on campus has lots of resources for students: information on emergency loans, emergency grants, emergency housing.  See the Basic Needs website for more details.

The Financial Support does not update Social Security Numbers for individual student records in ISIS. 

I. Student Needs to Update a SSN/ITIN

SSN/ITIN Needs an Update in ISIS

If a student needs to UPDATE a valid SSN/ITIN in ISIS, they should be referred to the Office of the Registrar.

Your Tax Identification Number: https://students.ucsd.edu/sponsor/registrar/tax-id-number.html

• During the COVID-19 closure, students can email

academicrecords@ucsd.edu to request accommodations for electronic submission.

SSN Needs an Update in UCPath

Students needing to update their Social Security Number in UCPath should navigate to the Employee Self-Service and make the changes themselves.

UCPath Navigation

Dashboard Navigation:  Personal Information > Personal Information Summary; or

Menu Navigation: Employee Actions > Personal Information > Personal Information Summary > Social Security Number > Change/Update SSN

UCPath Help Self-Service Users (Link to the UPK)

https://sp.ucop.edu/sites/ucpathhelp/SelfServiceUsers/PORplayer/data/toc.html

Search for "Update My Social Security Number (SSN)"

II. Student Does Not Have SSN/ITIN

SSN/ITIN Needs to be Established

If the student does not have an SSN/ITIN and is in need for guidance on how to establish a valid tax ID, refer them to the International Student & Programs Office .

• Once a valid tax ID is obtained, refer to previous section for instructions about how to update a SSN/ITIN. 

Requesting a Placeholder/"Dummy" SSN/ITIN 

If the student does not have a SSN/ITIN, a "SSN not found!" error will appear under their name when a department coordinator is attempting to enter support in the online Financial Support Request Tool. 

• Requests in the online FSRT for student profiles with this error cannot be recognized and/or processed by the financial systems. 

To submit a request for a student to receive a placeholder/"dummy" SSN/ITIN:

Please complete the Request for ISIS Placeholder SSN/ITIN Google form. The FSU will review the request and assign a placeholder/"dummy" SSN/ITIN to the student's account.

• Please note that it takes a few days for updates to take on the online FRST. You may follow up by emailing

gradfellowships@ucsd.edu if the "SSN not found!" error does not disappear within a week of submitting the request. 

Question:

What is the maximum allowable award for Graduate Students?

Answer:

The maximum stipend/salary award for the nine-month academic year is $34,650 ($3,850 per month). GEPA must approve any exception to this policy before the award is offered.  Please see the "Graduate Fellowship Guidelines and Procedures for Graduate Students" document on the Graduate Student Fellowships page of this Confluence site. 

Question:

Who should I contact about my department's annual TA allocation?

Answer:

Contact your Divisional Dean's Office

Graduate students can receive financial support in the form of payroll, stipends, and/or tuition and fee payments. Questions about taxation should be directed as follows.  The staff of the Graduate Financial Support Unit is not able to provide advice or guidance on tax-related issues.

Salary

Students who receive salary via pay from UCPath, will see salary earnings on a W-2 form.  Student employees with questions should submit taxation questions directly to UCPath using the Ask UCPath functionality in the system.

Stipends

• Domestic students who receive stipend payments will see calendar year payments listed on their 1098-T forms, which are published annually by the University. Students should submit taxation questions to a professional tax advisor.  

• International students who receive stipend payments will see calendar year payments listed on a 1042-S forms.  Students will receive an email from Glacier when their 1042-S is ready to be viewed.  Questions that are not answered in the Tax FAQ for International Visitors should be directed to glacier@ucsd.edu. 
  

  • See also the following resources:

    • IPSO links: Tax Resources; Taxes

    • Taxation of Fellowship Payments to Internationals

Please see the below table for where students can update personal data.

*See “Student Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)” above for specific details

“Instructional Assistants” or “IAs” refers to the group of graduate academic titles covered by the UAW union who perform instructional work. 

• Job Code 001506, Step 9 - Associate

• Job Code 001506, Step 1 - Associate-in-lieu-of-TA

• Job Code 002310 - Teaching Assistants

• Job Code 002850 – Readers

• Job Code 002860 - Tutors

See also:

• Academic Student Employees (ASEs)

• Student Academic Title Pay Rates

“Graduate Student Researchers” or “GSRs” refers to two job classifications, the GSR with Fee Remission and the GSR without Fee Remission.  This group of titles perform research work.

• GSR with Fee Remission

  • Job Code 003262 (used to hire students from CSE)

  • Job Code 003263 (used to hire students from MAE or NANO)

  • Job Code 003264 (used to hire students from SE)

  • Job Code 003284 (used to hire students from any department other than CSE, MAE, NANO, SE, ECE, PHYS, or SIO)

  • Job Code 003285 (used to hire students from ECE)

  • Job Code 003286 (used to hire students from PHYS)

  • Job Code 003287 (used to hire students from SIO)

• GSR without Fee Remission

  • Job Code 003266 (used to hire students from any department)

See also:

• Student Academic Title Pay Rates

ASEs, who work 25% or more for a quarter or equivalent in eligible job titles, are eligible for the ASE Partial Fee Remission.  This fee remission is dictated by their union agreement and covers only 4 items: tuition, student services fee, health insurance, and campus fees. 

See also:

• Fee Payment Information for Academic Student Employees

• Fee Remission Entry Instructions

GSRs, who work 25% or more for a quarter, are eligible for the Graduate Student Researcher Tuition & Fee Remission or GSRTF.  GSRTF covers tuition, student services fee, university center fee, recreation fee, GSA fee, student transportation fee, mental health fee, health insurance, and non-resident supplemental tuition (if applicable).  If a student is getting GSRTF, we cover the actual fees they are charged.  If the student has a combination of graduate academic employment, the GSR appointment(s) must reach a minimum of 25% for the duration of the quarter.

Remission charged to the salary fund source: the amount of GSRTF charged to the salary fund source does not change.  The same GSRTF is charged to the salary fund source if the student has resident, non-resident, half-time, part-time, or in absentia fees assessed.

For example, in AY 2020-2021, a first-year resident student would have $5794.66/quarter covered; and an international student would have $10,828.66/quarter covered.  What is charged to the salary fund source is a monthly fee remission.  If you hire a student from CSE, the student should be hired using Job Code 003262, and the salary fund source is charged $2897/month for 3 months (Oct/Nov/Dec, Jan/Feb/Mar, or Apr/May/June) IN ADDITION to the salary. A reminder that the salary/step level is set by the academic home department.

See also:

• Fee Remission Entry Instructions

Scenario 1: You want to hire a student from CSE as a 50% GSR at salary point 5. How much will it cost per academic quarter?

What to do:

1. Request approval to hire the student from their academic home department and confirm the correct GSRTF Job Code to use

2. Calculate the salary cost, see https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/student-pay-rates.html

3. Calculate the fee remission cost, see https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/student-pay-rates.html

After receiving approval from CSE to hire the student, you confirm that the correct GSRTF job code is 003262. Now it’s time to calculate the total quarterly cost:

• 3 months of salary:

  • $6,861.08 x 0.50 FTE x 3 months = $10,291.62

• 3 months of GSRTF:

  • $3,143 x 3 months = $9,429

• Total quarterly cost: $10,291.62 + $9,429 = $19,720.62

Scenario 2: You want to hire a student from ANTH as a 25% GSR at salary point 3. How much will it cost you per quarter?

What to do:

1. Request approval to hire the student from their academic home department and confirm the correct GSRTF Job Code to use

2. Calculate the salary cost, see https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/student-pay-rates.html

3. Calculate the fee remission cost, see https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/student-pay-rates.html

After receiving approval from ANTH to hire the student, you confirm that the correct GSRTF job code is 003284. Now it’s time to calculate the quarterly cost:

• 3 months of salary:

  • $5,909.58 x 0.25 FTE x 3 months = $4,432.19

• 3 months of GSRTF:

  • $2,306 x 3 months = $6,918

• Total quarterly cost: $4,432.19 + $6,918 = $11,350.19

Question:

My student was on leave during spring - may they be paid during summer?

Answer:

A student on leave during spring may be supported as a graduate student during summer provided the student is eligible for support, actively engaged in graduate student research and enrolled for the following fall quarter.

Related Articles

Chapter 1: Academic Eligibility > Leave of Absence

Question

My student defended in spring - may they be paid during the summer?

Answer

A US Citizen or Permanent Resident who receives a terminal degree, and is eligible for support, can be supported through the quarter-break after graduation provided the student continues to be actively engaged in graduate student research. The summer is considered to be the quarter-break after spring quarter. An international student (F-1 or J-1 visa) who has a dissertation/thesis defense date or date of comprehensive exam during a summer or quarter break, and is eligible for support, can be employed as a student through the last day of that respective summer or quarter-break. Contact the International Services & Engagement Office for additional information.

Related Articles

Chapter 1: Academic Eligibility > Summer and Quarter Break Employment

The UCOP program temporarily allowing telework from an international location ended as of September 30, 2021 .  The program allowing case-by-case consideration for temporary international telework due to visa related issues also ended, as of December 31, 2021.  For more information visit: https://aps.ucsd.edu/faculty-resources/covid-19/leavefaq.html#Temporary-Remote-Work-Agreement